Ladder



W. C. KENYON Jan. 1, 1935.

LADDER Filed Aug. 19. 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR Jan. 1, 1935. w.c. KENYQN 1,9se;411

LADDER Filed Aug. 19, 1955- 2 Sheets-Shed 2 IN VENTOR r viewwith specialbraces for suppp ioldl planks; Figure '7 a View showing the'ege Patented Jan. 1935 rmsinv' nbrr mates to; aw a a useful movements in ladders, more particularly to collapsiblel standing ,ladders especially ,l useful in preparing,scafioldsmfor general uses such as then-objects thereofito; provide a combination standing andtextension ladderwhich may be termedrajjaols lid'dertby virtue of he extension beinggadjustablefvertica y 0:;

conventional.supporting mernbe A further object of thei v ntionisthe pro-q vision ofiiia laddenwhich shall-be adapted tohthe' speedy (construction "of a; scaffold l without theuse) of nails,.-bolts: or any otherfastening means; pandfwhiclrtshall be assembled jasag unitary mem berto eliminate thehandlingofy partsgasi is-neo essary in the making of scafiolds by the use of the: accompanying drawings constituting apart hereofi in which like reference charactersi desighate:=1ikeapa-rtsr and which Figure 1, is; 1 a front elevational View of a scafiol'd constructed by the use; cr -ladders embodying the principles ofthis t invention; :Figure 2:, a side elevational wiew; of. one of the side elements; of. the standing ladder portion; Figure-3 a sideelevational viewof a brace; or supportyutilized in the construction of th seaffoldssho'wnin Figure 1; Figure i a front era p ali a d fe e t fi l aven e mene' n truc dr o 1 h ed 'er' n in] Fi u 1 and Figures 5 toil of." thefdrawings; Figure 5' elevational View of] the combined standing ndjextensible ladder; Fig re; 6a similar, s e oa r tensible portion of the ladder partiallyretracted;

Figure; 8 a iew illustrating the extensible V portion in collapsed position and showing in dotted. linesthe extension ladder as a leaning element;

Egur'e 9 front elevational View of" aportio'n of" th supporting ladder L and the extension ladder;

Figure :10 a1 top plan view .of .the structures shown .inFigures. 5 to 7 inclusive; Figure 11.. a.

side eleyational View of. the, ladders correspond ing to the View ofiFi lrebguFigure 121a topfplan new, oftthe. hinge; member; Figure 13, a {front entin l V w Q e Ween-Pi wa Pa cleaning or painting buildings, ;and it is among pS TATES PATENT? V} William 3.lienyomj' ittsburgh lar p plieation Au ust-19, 1933; Ser ia l No, assess e e e e l y a eclaims.401.3644) y or I Figure a side elevational oi the part shown in l figurev 13; Figure 15 afsidel elevation showing the ladders collapsed; and. Figs, 16 and 17. sideand end elevational views of an extension bracket. f

With reference tothe several figures of: q the drawings, the structure therein illustrated com-- prises a folding ladder and. an extensible ladder,

the folding ladder consisting of the uprights 1 and rungs 2 of gradually increasing length towards the bottomwhich' is productive ofa rather wide and substantial base when the ladders are spread- The two base ladders are hinged in the;

manner shown in Figure ll of thefdrawings the; hinge consisting of brackets 3 which areinte grally formed with plates ithal} overlap and are joined by a'pivot ,pinJB, although other suitable hinge constructions may be employed {,Lhe' pivot;

bolt 5 also pivotally holdsa bracket fi of a size. n y

to; hold the extension ladder '1, thisbeing illus--; trated in Figures 9 and11 of the drawings IFhe members S are adapted to permit-the extension ladder 7 to slide freely thereinfand atthe'same time they provide secure fastening, means to firmly old the extension ladder initsadju stable orektended positioned Thebase ladders 1 and the extensionladder 7; are thus pivotally joi'n ed. tq perrnit folding or angular and vertical adjustmentwith the side ladders either spread as shown in Eiguresl to;

8 of the drawings, or in the collapsed position as shown in Figure 15. i e The base ladders rare provided with ,through bolts ,8 which extend; through [the side frames and are attached bymeans of screw nuts Sec-acting withthe threaded ends 10 ,of the:,bolt.-

Cross-straps 11 are hingedc at one end to lthe through bolt of-one ofthej ladder i'rames and the strapsarel provided with afislotted end 11o as shown in Figure ll which ac-sh man the throughbolt of, the other ladder, the straps 11" carrying rods 12 and 12a, as. shownin Figure 10, these rods extending parallel with the? through bolts .8 and transversely to the straps 11 to which they are attached.

The bar 12g isprdvidedjwithffingers is which are. secured to the'j "bar at l4 to moyablelwith thejbar which itself is mounted for angular,

niovem'enjtfin the pres strap, 1 1. l The fingers l3 aredesigned to co act with the rungs 7a oil thelezitension ladder to hold the ladder to any adjusted.-positionz as will be hereinafter explained. Thefingerslla are of sufilcient weight to force. thesrod} 12a to1 angular" movement-j wheng they arefmoved bythe rung ofrtheladder so that the fingers will always drop on the rod 12 to act as a support for rungs 7a when the ladder is placed in any desired position.

In utilizing the jack ladder for constructing a scafiold, as for example that of Figure 1 of the drawings, the extension ladders '7 are disposed in a horizontal position, and an upright 15 is disposed below the extended ends of the horizontal rnen bers, the uprights being provided with a supporting bracket 16. as shown in Figure 13 of the drawings, which bracket is adapted to engage the rungs of the cooperating ladders to provide a substantial central support. The ladder width to fit between the sideframes of the ex-- tension ladders, thereby completing the scat -fold. '1

, As shown in Figure 2, when the extension ladder '7 is in the horizonta'l'p'osition of Figure 1,

there isa longstep between the top rung 2 of the standing ladder andthe horizontally disposed extensionladder, and for this reason 1 ders 7 are disposed vertically to their upper most extended positionsas'shown in Figures 5' and 6 with the fingers 13 and fingers 10 supporting the lower rung of the extension ladder- 7; The scaffold is constructed by extend ing aboard'IS across the top rungs of the two extension ladders. Ii'it is desired to change the height of the scaffold in the arrangement otFigure', eitherthe board 18 is moved to lower rungs of the; two ladders or-else the ladders themselves are lowered by lifting fingers 13 which permit dropping them to any position desired when fingers 13 areagain placed to en gage the rung'of the ladder to which position it has been moved.

'If, theconstruction of Figure, 4, it is desired to provide awide'platform such as; that shown in Figure 6, additional boards 19 may be'supported on the stepladders by theuse of clips or brackets 20 which areshown in detail ng Figureslfiand lfl 'of the drawings. These clips are, sotarranged; that they engage the side of the ladder andinterlock with the first and second rungs atthetopwhereby they are securely held and supported for the recepticn'of the cross scaffold boards '19; The clips or brackets 20 are so constructed that theyacannot be displaced without raising them clear of the rungs with'which. their depending portions 21 engage, and for'this reason the scafioldis absolutely safe as .the'w'eight on the boards will more firmly hold the clips in position; V

"In Figure 7 of the drawings, the extension ladder is shownextendedabout half way above the standing ladders, and in Figure 8 it is shown as a leaning ladder,the standing ladder. being spread as in the'other views, but the extension ladder being'fexpcse d' adjacent one of the sideladders, thisjbeing,,accomplished by lifting. it entirely clearoof the fingers13 and dropping it toieither side'of the'fthrough bolts 8 as will beapparent from" Figure l0 'of the drawings.

In Figure 15 the, ladder is shown in its 001- lapsed; position;- towhich position it is readily vand}conveniently changed by lifting the extensionflladder clear of the fingers 13 and dropping it alongside of the through bolts. in the manner shown in Figure 8 so that when the extension ladder is entirely lowered the standing ladder may be collapsed by lifting the straps 11 clear of the through bolts which is permitted through the slotted connection 12, allowing it to drop which permits collapsing the standing ladder to the position shown in Figure 15.

Some of the convenient and accessible features of the jack ladder construction hereinbefore described are the quick adjustments "made possible by the use of the fingers 13 and the general arrangement and construction of the ladder, particularly the sliding connection of the extension ladder through the hinge bracket 6 when set up in the manner shown in Figure 1 may be provided with a board of a which permits sliding of the extension ladder and pivotal movement as well so that it may be disposed eitherbetween the cross bars or rods 12 as shown in Figure 10 where it will engag'e'thefingers 13 or else it may be readily disposed between the bars 12 and the throng bolts 8 without'r'esting', on the fingers 13.

When the extension ladder is' inits lowermost position, and disposed between the rods 12; it

construction of the jack ladder "hereinbefore described, many different arrangements {of scaffolds can be provided without the use of fastening screws or belts or without requiring any nailingof cross boards or other structural elements. I

It is evident that various modifications of the.

detailed construction herein disclosed may be' herein set'forth.

Iclaim: m

1-. A scaffold comprising a plurality of'ladders comprising-each a pair of base'ladders adapted made without departing from the principles to be spread, having an extension ladder extend ing centrally thereof and-adjustable to various heights, means for mounting said extension ladders'on hinged brackets adapting them to pivotal 2. The combination with a plurality of base ladders of extensible members pivotally mounted at the top of said base ladders, locking means for securing said base ladders in their spread position, hinge brackets pivoted at the hinged portion of said ladders, said bracket having guide ways for gripping the sides of the extension ladders, which guide ways are of a size: to provide afsubs'tantial area of contact with said extension. ladders and adapted to hold them inadjusted angular positions, through bolts extending from the rungs of the base ladders and having cross straps thereacross, bars in parallel relation secured to said cross bars having hinged members pivotally connected to one bar and adapted to be supported on the other bar, said hinge members'lying in the path of movement of saidextension ladder whereby they are adapted to form'supporting ,abutments for the rungs ofsaid extension ladder, when it is adjusted to vertical position, and scaffold boards mounted 'on the rungs of said extension ladders.

it I

3. A scafiold comprising a plurality of ladders comprising each a pair of base ladders adapted to be spread, having an extension ladder extending centrally thereof and adjustable to a 5 various heights, means for mounting said extension ladders on hinged brackets adapting them to pivotal movement relative to the base ladder, 

